Thursday, February 22, 2018

May 2018 Solicits - No Supergirl

First off, any bad formatting on this post. I have no interest in reading thr HTML line by line to fix it. I'm too ticked off.

Well, the May solicits for DC Comics came out and ... sigh ... there is no Supergirl listed.

There is Doomsday Clock, there is Superman and Action Comics Specials, there is even a new DC Comics fan magazine. But there is no Supergirl. And there is no Bendis Man of Steel. Super Sons is there but as a final issue.

Here is a link: https://www.newsarama.com/38716-dc-comics-may-2018-solicitations.html

We all were wondering what sort of grenade the Bendis move would be to the ancillary Superman titles. What would his taking over, revamping things, starting out with a mini-series named Man of Steel would be.

Bendis said that he wasn't going to restart things. He was going to just build on.

But there is no Supergirl.

I reached out to Clark Bull at DC Comics on Twitter. He said there are plans. There is a theory that there will be some sort of anthology series, a sort of Superman Family, that will take its place. But this seems foolish. Because Supergirl is selling well and actually thriving currently.

This is a solicit post.

There will be a deeper look at the cancellation of both Supergirl some time next week. This feels like history repeating itself. I'm putting my thoughts together now.

But suffice it to say, it looks and sounds like Steve Orlando is off whatever Supergirl series is next. And Peter Tomasi implies here that the Sons will continue in a new format.

So maybe that anthology will happen.

And yesterday Bendis did tweet that Kara is a HUGE part of the Superman books. But does that mean she is a perpetual guest star as opposed to having her own title. Will she only be part of Kal's stories and not in her own? It seems like the 'Superman Family' idea is the best fit.

But a Supergirl book selling just under 30K is being cancelled. I have to ask why.

On to the solicited books.

ACTION COMICS SPECIAL #1

Written by DAN JURGENS, MAX LANDIS and MARK RUSSELL • Art by
WILL CONRAD, FRANCIS MANAPUL and JILL THOMPSON • Cover by WILL CONRAD

“The Last Will and Testament of Lex Luthor”! When Superman’s
world was reborn, his greatest enemy became his most unexpected ally. But does
that truly reflect Lex Luthor—or was it all a sham? Now, as Lex Luthor’s path
toward righteousness reaches its apex, he finds himself involved in an
adventure in which Superman stands to be destroyed. What choice will Luthor
make? Will he save Superman or watch him die at the hands of a foe he could not
possibly imagine? This oversized special also features stories from the
acclaimed teams of Max Landis and Francis Manapul (in a story previously slated
to appear in the DC UNIVERSE HOLIDAY SPECIAL 2017 #1) and Mark Russell and Jill
Thompson!

Dan Jurgens has to wrap up his stories so he gets a special. Luthor is probably back to being pure evil and less nuanced in Bendis' world. So let's tie this off.

“THE PROMISE”! Superman’s world is about to change in a big
way, but before it does, the Man of Steel has some unfinished business to
attend to…on Dinosaur Island! Superman and a forgotten soldier of the past take
one last trip together into the abyss of tomorrow, as Captain Storm now stands
face-to-face with the world of today! This extra-sized special also features
stories by writers Mark Russell and Ian Flynn with art by Kaare Andrews and
Bryan Hitch!Will there be the usual family feel to the Superman book once Tomasi and Gleason are off the book?Doubtful.At least we visit Dinosaur Island one last time.I have loved the Superman books since Rebirth, and especially since Reborn.Bendis has big shoes to fill.

SUPER SONS #16Written by PETER J. TOMASIArt by CARLO BARBERI and ART THIBERTCover by JORGE JIMENEZVariant cover by DUSTIN NGUYEN“END OF INNOCENCE” part two! The epic battle between the Super Sons and Kid Amazo crashes to a close, and Superboy and Robin must decide how to pick up the pieces of the disastrous Amazo Project. The Super Sons face tomorrow in this latest chapter of their journey together!

The end.Let's wrap up Kid Amazo.Will there be a 'Sons' book? Or will it be a Superboy strip? Who knows.But I loved this book too for the fun romp it was.So sad to see it go in this form.

NEW SUPER-MAN AND THE JUSTICE LEAGUE OF CHINA #23

Written by GENE
LUEN YANGArt by BRENT PEEPLES and MATT SANTORELLICover by PHILIP TANVariant cover by BERNARD CHANG“SEAS OF CHANGE” part four! As a tidal wave threatens to
engulf all of Pyongyang, the Justice League of China must save the North Korean
capital from destruction whether they like it or not! The Dragonson has risen
to ascend to his throne as the Aqua-Man of North Korea, and he’ll make his
countrymen pay for what they did to him, come hell or high water!Somehow ... some way ... the only book to seemingly remain unscathed by the Bendis bomb is the super-book selling the least.New Super-Man and the JLC continues!I like the book. A lot.But it sells less than half what Supergirl does. How does this survive?

I really don't think that the decision regarding what to cull and what to leave is being done on the basis of sales numbers, it's more likely being done in order of relevance. Jon and Kara are direct family so they get in the main action, while the new Superman isn't so his book survives.

I have a theory regarding why this is being done: We all know that DC is setting up its universe for another mega event like crisis, for this it's necessary that major players get in a shared and continuous timeline. Currently, DC's timeline is a mess, Supergirl seems to be in her own elseworld altogether. This seems like an effort to bring everything back together into the same playing field.

I am of two minds regarding this: on one hand I like that Kara will be interacting with other characters more since her solo book kind of lacked focus on that. On the other hand, characters guest starring get diminished roles and I have no idea how bendis will treat Kara, will she go back to being an angsty teenager, God I hope not. Trading in a solo book over guest appearance in her cousin's book with more character interactions, I don't know which will be better especially since Steve Orlando just got how Kara in essence is, he portrayed her as a beacon of light and hope; suffice to say I am very cautiously reading all that bendis is saying in his tweets.

I still have hope that after whatever dc is planning as a mega event will be over and sales will even out after the hype is over, Supergirl will get her solo book once again,she has a solo tvshow for God's sake which is currently the 2nd highest rated show in viewership at CW, how can she not get her solo book. It's just a matter of time.

"First off, any bad formatting on this post. I have no interest in reading thr HTML line by line to fix it. I'm too ticked off."

And justly so, given...

"Well, the May solicits for DC Comics came out and ... sigh ... there is no Supergirl listed."

... this.

Kara's book was selling well above the cancellation line. Yes, I'm sure Artgem's brilliant covers have something to do with it, but the fact it's selling just below 30,000, like the Green Lantern books and even several X-Men titles. So I have to assume Supergirl is being cancelled due to Bendis' plans to turn the Superman franchise upside-down.

"There will be a deeper look at the cancellation of both Supergirl some time next week. This feels like history repeating itself."

Yes, it's 2011/2015 all over again.

"And yesterday Bendis did tweet that Kara is a HUGE part of the Superman books. But does that mean she is a perpetual guest star as opposed to having her own title."

Given Bendis' record writing Silver Age female characters like Scarlet Witch or Marvel Girl I'm feeling concerned. Does he understand Supergirl? Does Mr. "Let's ignore continuity when it suits me" know her history? Or does he think "angry, annoying teenager" is a proper take? Well, we know he's read "Brainiac", so... Maybe?

Please, someone shows the Gates/Igle run to him!

It's rumored Supergirl will join the Titans, which would be good. She needs to bond with other heroes. Make friends. To not be isolated.

How ironic. I complained about Kara not being a part of the DC universe since the end of her solo. Now it looks like Kara is finally playing an active role in her cousin's life and getting a team affiliation, but she loses her own book in the process.

The silver lining is I was afraid Bendis was going to turn the clock back to 1986: he wouldn't kill Kara off but she'd never be seen or mentioned. Apparently that is not happening. And maybe increased visibility and exposure will help find new fans. Neither Matrix nor Post-Crisis Kara were given a book initially.

"And I can't believe I have to give Max Landis money."

My condolences.

The solicits truly feel like the end of an era. It feels like 2011 all over again, when the Pre-Flashpoint books were wrapping up their runs. Bad precedent.

You know what that Super Sons cover reminds me of? This:

http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/World%27s_Finest_Vol_1_323

Both heroes saying goodbye to each other. Fortunately the tone is certainly more upbeat. Unlike Clark and Bruce, they don't seem to be saying goobdye to their friendship.

"But it sells less than half what Supergirl does. How does this survive?"

Apparently the trades are selling well. I don't know if true.

Bombshells United has been cancelled, hasn't it? I wish I could say I'm sorry.

I feel your pain Anj, Super Sons being cancelled as well is damn near heartbreaking for me. It's been a fantastic series which I've loved for its charm, fun and character dynamics. As if I didn't have enough reasons to dislike Bendis writing Superman. In regards to why Supergirl is being cancelled when it sells just under 30K, I don't think the reason behind it is due to sales. As Bendis has tweeted about writing Kara, I think that means he wants as much control over his Superman comics as he can get. If that means consolidating the other Super Family characters under him in guest appearances in both Superman and Action Comics, that's what Bendis is likely to have done.

It's a shame to disrupt Supergirl's status quo though. Some people on CBR are saying that this will allow Supergirl to develop a closer family relationship with Superman than how they're portrayed in Rebirth, but that only makes Supergirl an instrument in Bendis' Superman shake up, not her own independent character. It could be that she joins a new version of the Titans or Young Justice which might be interesting. But it's a shame that Supergirl's prominence on TV isn't reflected in the comics as of May.

Helluva Shame since the book was "doing well" by the current standards of the industry, clearly DC gave Bendis "Carte Blanche" and his definition of that seems to include Kara Zor El, something that makes me very suspicious to say the least. I advise vigilance from this moment forward. I am sure they've got some cockamammie idea in mind for Kara, (expl "Make her a Pre-teen" or "A villainess turn"). The problem with modern creatives is that they are recruited entirely from the ranks of the fans, that means they can write their favorites like virtuosos but heaven help us all if a character they dislike or don't understand is assigned to them, it gets ugly quickly.

""And yesterday Bendis did tweet that Kara is a HUGE part of the Superman books."

...which to me is entirely disappointing....I had thought that DC would have been smarter to not relegate Supergirl back into playing second fiddle to her cousin all over again.

However, one will have to wait and see what Bendis is going to come up with. However, what I'm seeing so far is a regurgitation of the John Byrne era, with a new Man of Steel revamp mini-series. How original (rolls eyes).

In any case, we still have the Supergirl TV series, which will still roll on unaffected....and also, DC Super Hero Girls, which is off in its own safe haven of merchandising.

Good question Anj, why cancel two books that are doing reasonably well? Particularly when even some old standbys like Aquaman and Green Arrow are doing a lot worse? The only thing that makes sense is this is to allow Bendis a free hand to do what we wants.

Like you I hope they give us some info, because I’m more than a little irritated, particularly after the last time DC cancelled Supergirl while the book had mid-20k sales right after the TV show was announced.

It's pretty obvious after Bendis' tweet about Kara playing a "huge" part is the reason why Supergirl is ending. He wants control over the Superman family. I'm not going to judge until I've read it, but I can honestly say that the old feelings of skepticism and worry are back. Maybe always expecting the shoe to drop just comes with the territory of being a fan of Kara Zor-El.

While Orlando's run was off to a slow start plot-wise with Cyborg Zor-El, I've always appreciated his characterization of Kara. If TV Supergirl represents hope, help, and compassion, Rebirth Supergirl is all that cranked up to eleven.

I feel like I have more to write, but I'm starting to feel like I'm writing a eulogy before that's warranted. All I can say is that I've been in a dour mood all day.

I'm reserving judgement on Bendis and Supergirl. I hated Avengers Disassembled, but he proved in Ultimate Spiderman that he can write teenagers well. He also said that he intends to build on what has been done with the Superman titles, which, I hope, means that he doesn't intend to trash the good things that talented writers like Bedard, Perkins, and Orlando have done with Supergirl since she was rescued from the clutches of Scott Lobdell.

I'm beginning to think that Kara should always be drawn with a dark cloud over her head- like Joe Btfsplk, the bad luck character in Li'l Abner. With a successful TV show and comic sales up, something like this just had to happen. Inevitable.

I guess there's some consolation in that Supergirl will be around, though I'm skeptical about Bendis writing her. Maybe after all the dust settles, she'll get her own comic again. Tomorrow never knows.

I guess it's worth mentioning that Supergirl is on the final cover of Bendis' Man of Steel mini series confronting the new villain connected to Krypton alongside Superman. This confirms Bendis does intend to use Supergirl for his series in what will most likely be a supporting role to this Krypton retcon. So the good news for Supergirl fans is that she will still be around, just not in her own series anymore.

I hope Kara isn’t in this just to die. I’m getting a little sick of DC cancelling/changing Kara. My question to DC would be this: Why, oh why, should I invest myself in upcoming projects involving Supergirl’s character, when history has taught me it won’t last long? Why should I do that, DC? It baffles me that she has her own TV show, yet her book is cancelled? It makes no sense. Of course, all we can do is wait and see… But, I’m not going to read Superman just so I can read Kara. I’ve never been interested in Superman. It’s such a shame. As you say, Anj, why take money off the table, and lose fans in the process.Oh well, at least Batman and Nightwing are still going. But even then, I have to say that Tom King’s Batman is bland and boring... So, thank God for Detective Comics.Supergirl was one of the best titles in Rebirth. And now it’s gone… for now at least. What a waste. But, I really hope I’m wrong.Thank you for the platform, Anj. All that I’ve said are just my opinions. (But seriously, FU, DC (I'm not bitter at all))

Yeah all this "Krypton Retcon" palaver is what worries me, altering Superman's Original likely means Supergirl's origin must change as well, and as I've said before some of these creatives are prey to Bad Ideas....preteen Kara, Villainess Kara, Twin Clone Kara from the 12th dimension...the mind boggles.

"My question to DC would be this: Why, oh why, should I invest myself in upcoming projects involving Supergirl’s character, when history has taught me it won’t last long? Why should I do that, DC? It baffles me that she has her own TV show, yet her book is cancelled?"

Yes, I think these are fair questions to have. Some of those have been floating around in my head in the last few days.

However, it should be noted that DC Comics did cancel the previous ongoing Supergirl comics series months prior to the television show starting up in 2015. It appears that perhaps the powers that be have decided once again to ignore making any effort to promote symmetry with what's happening on the TV series or other media presentations. The closest they ever came to it was with Sterling Gates' Adventures of Supergirl book, which never got a 'second season'. Steve Orlando's run tried valiantly to mesh some TV elements with what had gone on in past comics runs. Yet it seems that Artgerm's variant cover art probably did more to provoke sales of this latest volume.

Once again, DC's comics division seems to be flailing around for a quick gimmick, and Bendis has arrived to provide them with a new one. Special event books do appear to have an edge over regular comics runs these days.

As for Supergirl herself, it appears more evident now that the solo series was sidelined so that Bendis can exploit the character's present sales muscle in aiding his Superman revamp effort. It remains to be seen whether this move will prove to affirm that the patriarchy is still alive and well in some form at the publisher, even after Eddie Berganza's ouster.

But even if you only count her ongoing books, Wonder Woman is the only superhero comic-book female character who beats her.

"I guess it's worth mentioning that Supergirl is on the final cover of Bendis' Man of Steel mini series confronting the new villain connected to Krypton alongside Superman. This confirms Bendis does intend to use Supergirl for his series in what will most likely be a supporting role to this Krypton retcon. So the good news for Supergirl fans is that she will still be around, just not in her own series anymore."

Looking at the bright side of things, this is the first time in a long, long time that Supergirl isn't excluded from a Superman origin. Except for "Smallville" -which might not count- and "Birthright" -where she's indirectly mentioned in one single panel-, Kara has been ignored by all post-1986 Superman origin stories.

While I agree with the general consensus that the cancelation/hiatus of her self-titled comic is cause for upset for many reasons, I think we should not jump to any conclusions in regards to how much Bendis was involved in that decision or what he aims to do with Kara.

Let's channel our inner Kara's and assume the best in people. Then if all of our worst fears come to pass we can start embracing the kryptonite poison within.

“Once again, DC's comics division seems to be flailing around for a quick gimmick, and Bendis has arrived to provide them with a new one. Special event books do appear to have an edge over regular comics runs these days”

Yes, you’re right. A similar thought struck me some time ago about a Batman Rebirth story where Bruce and Bane face off against each other. It was a strong reference to the story arc ‘Knightfall’ from the early 90s. Only, in this rebirth arc, both men got their backs broken; but within a few issues all was great and dandy again. There were no lasting repercussions, no aftermath difficulties … the whole issue (it seemed to me) was written to satisfy today’s “instant gratification” audiences; it felt rushed, and too unbelievable. And you’re right as well about DC cancelling the New 52 Supergirl months prior to the TV show (I’d forgotten that it was cancelled only months prior to it).

“As for Supergirl herself, it appears more evident now that the solo series was sidelined so that Bendis can exploit the character's present sales muscle in aiding his Superman revamp effort”

Very well put... And now that I've had a short time to digest, I agree with this; it does seem that Supergirl Rebirth’s cancellation (or as you say, and perhaps more accurately, sidelined) has more to do with Bendis being on the scene now, and his arrival has forced these changes. Perhaps if Brian Bendis hadn’t come to Superman then Supergirl might still be a monthly comic. I don’t know. But with the Supergirl TV show still on the air, I can’t imagine they’ll let her be dormant in the comics for too long.At least, that’s my hope.

"I think we should not jump to any conclusions in regards to how much Bendis was involved in that decision or what he aims to do with Kara."

With DC's hype machine trumpeting Bendis' arrival, the publisher is already inviting speculation in this area, so it's fair game. However, there's another media factor that may be involved here, which may also have some bearing on the shape of Bendis' story.

SyFy's Krypton TV series debuts next month. Needless to say, it's an origin tale for the Supers, set well before they are born or arrive on Earth. Would not be too surprised if Bendis' revamp is aimed at tying into this new development. Most of us have probably seen the previews for this show.

Several Doc Shaner's pics are getting people speculating. There're a theory that Bendis may be approaching the task of writing Superman with the "everything since the first published story counts even if details may difer" Marvel-like mindset. If I'm not mistaken, that's how Grant Morrison went on about writing Batman. If so, it may be... interesting.

My skepticism is off the charts regarding bendis's tweets cause they are basically the same tweets regarding including Jon Kent, it seems like he just swapped out the names.

As people have said before me, I find it hard to believe that she will not get a solo comic book soon, especially since she has her own tvshow and has a prominent place in DC superhero girls squad. I am still not sure why DC hasn't paired up Supergirl and batgirl in the comics, cause that is one superbat partnership I would like to see before dying

As for Krypton tvseries, I have no idea what they aim to do with it and what story telling purpose it's gonna serve apart from making money for DC cause I am willing to bet my entire life savings that the planet will explode in the end. Moreover, I am personally not feeling that show, Krypton is something that should remain as a backstory for Kara and kal, we should get just little tantalizing snippets of that world just to keep the imagination churning, I certainly don't want to see leather jackets and alien bars on Krypton, honestly, it takes away the allure rather than contributing to it.

Also, how many of you wanna bet that 'Supergirl won't be talked about directly at all in the series and that it will all be about kal, I want to bet my life savings again cause I am sure I will be rich. Thats how predictable DC and it's treatment of female characters has become. As my above commentator said: FU DC :)

"I am still not sure why DC hasn't paired up Supergirl and batgirl in the comics, cause that is one superbat partnership I would like to see before dying"

You need to check the "Escape from the Phantom Zone" story arc (Batgirl Vol 5 Annual #1 and Supergirl Vol 7 #9-10) where both girls renew their friendship and enjoy an adventure together.

"Also, how many of you wanna bet that 'Supergirl won't be talked about directly at all in the series and that it will all be about kal, I want to bet my life savings again cause I am sure I will be rich."

"As for Krypton TV series, I have no idea what they aim to do with it and what story telling purpose it's gonna serve..."

...which is why this could be the ringer that a lot of folks are overlooking right now, as it hasn't aired yet. At the moment, I am intrigued by the show's visual production values, which seem unusual for most normal SyFy fare (which often appears cheap and lazy). And IIRC, show runners have indicated no direct tie-ins: 'Krypton isn’t going to tie into the on-screen DC Comics world on television and in films' (a preview article quote).

However, time travel is involved. Adam Strange will be showing up, so new possibilities may show up in a more indirect fashion...elements that could eventually pop up in 'present day' Supers stories.

"Also, how many of you wanna bet that 'Supergirl won't be talked about directly at all in the series and that it will all be about Kal, I want to bet my life savings again cause I am sure I will be rich."

Well, it would be disappointing, considering that the publisher just had a big promo event in Washington DC last month touting its efforts in diversity and representation. They even had a panel discussion about female representation, and Supergirl was one of the prominently featured characters.

I could have (and probably SHOULD have) included the Adventure Comics run in that list because it WAS an on-going Supergirl comic in all but name. That would add another 44 issues bringing the total up to 284.

2019 will mark 60 years since Supergirl crash-landed on Earth from Argo City. I wonder if DC has any plans to acknowledge it in some way.

DC started trying to sync "New 52 Supergirl" with the TV series by introducing Supergirl's involvement with the DEO in an occasional panel in "The Final Days of Superman", which I think was published months after the TV series debuted. Even the Danvers appeared towards the end of that title. Were any casual Supergirl fans aware of those appearances? Unlikely.

Hard to say if they were caught flat-footed by the TV series, or if the next delay was reasonable: while the first TV episode aired October 26, 2015; the first chapter of the excellent (Sterling Gates plus an array of great artists) "Adventures of Supergirl" digital comic tie-in appeared, I think, January 25, 2016. That delay suggests they may not have started work on the comic until around the time, more or less, that the show started airing. Perhaps that was wise, to make sure they were able to incorporate any important last-minute tweaks to the show. They got the costume right, and much of the DEO.

But they were planning to then go straight to TPB before it was finally decided to publish a mini-series of comics collecting the chapters, and the printed comics started appearing six months after the digitals - after the first season had fully aired, or at the very end of the season.

If that sounds like less than ideal coordination, consider that Supergirl (1982) was cancelled at issue #23, published Sep 1984 (on sale in July?). The Helen Slater film debuted in theaters in November 1984. So DC apparently had precognitively determined that it was a smarter financial move to cease publication on the assumption that the film would bomb, than to keep publishing in case the film succeeded. And then of course killed the character more or less exactly a year later.

Business geniuses?

Well, the reception of the modern DCU films suggests a company making the same mistakes over and over yet expecting different results.